Psalms 63-65

Romans 6

“Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of this Your servant and to the prayers of Your servants who delight in revering Your name.”    — Nehemiah 1:11

Throughout the book of Nehemiah, there are two themes that run simultaneously: the accomplishing of a work of God and the making of a worker. As Christians, we are all workers together with God, but how do we know if a burden placed on our hearts is from God or simply an emotional reaction?

        Nehemiah had felt a burden to rebuild the city walls of Jerusalem, which had been left in ruins for 140 years since the Babylonian invasion. God’s presence had left the city, and the people were living in disgrace. Nehemiah’s heart was broken over this, but it was not out of his sorrow and compassion that the idea of rebuilding the walls came into being. God was the initiator and had placed the desire in his heart. Nehemiah said, “I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem” (Nehemiah 2:12).

        God is much more concerned with the worker than He is the work. If we are going to align ourselves with God’s desire for us, it is important we have that quiet, secret place in our hearts where we commune with Him. Philippians 2:13 says, “It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil His good purpose.” Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” That means the desires of our hearts do not come from us, but are given to us by God and are placed in our hearts.

        The fear many of us have is that we do not trust what we want, because we are not sure whether it is selfishly motivated and may not be what God wants for us. But the reason why it is our will is because we have delighted ourselves in God, and He has given us the desires of His heart. The way God communicates His will is by making it our will, so we are drawn along by a desire that not only deepens and grows, but energizes and motivates us.

        There are many needs around us, but the need itself is not the call. It is good to ask God to place within us that burden and vision that is His for us, but wise not to make impetuous plans of our own. We need to wait until we have sensed with reasonable clarity that this calling is from God. Nehemiah had the wisdom to wait and see how the circumstances lined up with the vision of his heart. When all was in place, the immense task of rebuilding the city walls began for two reasons…. because it was God’s will and Nehemiah had delighted in God.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I ask for wisdom in discerning Your desires for me, and for a deep work of Your Spirit, enabling me to fulfill them. Thank You, Lord.